Keep Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama in your thoughts...

[6stringer]

I'm sure you've heard/ seen/ read about the really nasty weather that came through Arkansas on Thursday and spent Friday ripping Mississippi and Alabama a new one. Major storm damage to trees and houses, no power for about 52,000 entergy customers, nearly 100 fairly serious injuries dealt with by the EMT's but no reported fatalities. We had a tree come down on our garage (just a leaner- not like the roofbuster we had during Ivan a few years back) but other than that no real damage and all the guitars are safe...

Just wanted to ask folks here to keep the people who had real and serious damage (loss of cars and homes) in their thoughts and prayers. Good vibrations go a long way.

Peace, love, and all that good happiness stuff...

[rty13ibz98]

it passed over my area and hit over my ex-wife's apartments. which in turn is where my daughter lives. it has been extremely hard in this area. not the first set of tornadoes we have had in the area, but very seldom do they get close, let alone into the commercial part of the city.

rich

[microdmitry]

You'd think that after this happens a few times people would actually start building houses out of goddamn bricks. But no. A tornado rips through, demolishes it all, and they build their glorified wooden dog houses all over again. People, there are stronger materials out there than wood. Use them.

[waylay00]

Originally Posted by microdmitry

You'd think that after this happens a few times people would actually start building houses out of goddamn bricks. But no. A tornado rips through, demolishes it all, and they build their glorified wooden dog houses all over again. People, there are stronger materials out there than wood. Use them.

Most houses here are built with bricks anyways...

Regardless, bricks stand just as much a chance of withstanding an F4 tornado as wood does, so that point is moot to begin with.

[microdmitry]

I dunno, properly laid brick will withstand a tank. I was 10 when our house was built. The bottom is brick on the outside and cinder block on the inside, the top is 2 bricks thick, with internal walls 1 brick thick. That's how houses are built where I come from. I'm positive it would not get blown away by a hurricane or tornado of any strength. At the worst, parts of the roof will come off.

What I don't understand is why people are building wooden houses in areas where tornadoes, hurricanes or fires are likely, or building anything at all in or near New Orleans. It doesn't take an Einstein to realize that some things are much less likely than others to get blown away.

[DancingDrake]

Ouch , that isn't good. Will keep them in my thoughts though.

[waylay00]

Originally Posted by microdmitry

I dunno, properly laid brick will withstand a tank. I was 10 when our house was built. The bottom is brick on the outside and cinder block on the inside, the top is 2 bricks thick, with internal walls 1 brick thick. That's how houses are built where I come from. I'm positive it would not get blown away by a hurricane or tornado of any strength. At the worst, parts of the roof will come off.

What I don't understand is why people are building wooden houses in areas where tornadoes, hurricanes or fires are likely, or building anything at all in or near New Orleans. It doesn't take an Einstein to realize that some things are much less likely than others to get blown away.

Brick (dunno how much brick) house almost completely demolished by an F3 (not even an F5):



Tornadoes are strongly underestimated. Even weaker tornadoes strip asphalt from the ground (http://www.stormtrack.org/library/1995/jun8.htm) F5 tornadoes twisted a few skyscrapers in the 1985 Ohio outbreak.

Until you actually get to see the damage firsthand, it's hard to imagine what they can do. The neighboring warehouse next to my dad's plant was completely leveled a few months ago. It was a sight to behold.

[microdmitry]

Originally Posted by waylay00

Brick (dunno how much brick) house almost completely demolished by an F3 (not even an F5):



Tornadoes are strongly underestimated. Even weaker tornadoes strip asphalt from the ground (http://www.stormtrack.org/library/1995/jun8.htm) F5 tornadoes twisted a few skyscrapers in the 1985 Ohio outbreak.

Until you actually get to see the damage firsthand, it's hard to imagine what they can do. The neighboring warehouse next to my dad's plant was completely leveled a few months ago. It was a sight to behold.

I don't see any brick there. I see a lot of wood, though.

[waylay00]

Look at the partially standing brick though on the right.

Regardless, it doesn't matter what material the house/building is made of when one of these monsters comes by. They have no problem picking up 18-wheelers like toys, so bricks wouldn't stand a chance either. Obviously, they have a better chance of faring better than wood structures, but when you're talking winds of 250mph (and gusts near 300mph), it doesn't matter what's standing in the way.

But to answer your question, the reason that most people don't use bricks/concrete is that its pretty expensive. Most people aren't ever hit by a tornado, so they are willing to take the chance of using wood.

Here are some good points (granted, it's Yahoo Answers, but there are some links, etc. in there):

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/in...7122249AAmgBba

[michblanch]

Edit:

[HeavyMetal4Ever]

Being from Australia, we don't get tornadoes or hurricanes much, but I have always wondered if building underground would be feasable in areas where they are common?

Just wondering...

Rock on!

[andy7jem]

Originally Posted by HeavyMetal4Ever

Being from Australia, we don't get tornadoes or hurricanes much, but I have always wondered if building underground would be feasable in areas where they are common?

Just wondering...

Rock on!

You don't get much of a view out of the windows though

[HeavyMetal4Ever]

Yeah, but it might be worth it if the view is sometimes a tornado propelled semi-trailer coming right at you.

Rock on!

[michblanch]

If Al Gore were President, none of this bad weather would be happening.

We only have ourselves and Florida to blame.